Methods of operating an image-based check processing system to detect a double feed condition of carrier envelopes and an apparatus therefor

1. A method of operating an image-based check processing system to detect a double feed condition of document items, the method comprising: reading one magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) codeline from a first predefined area of an image of a document item; based upon the read of one MICR codeline from the first predefined area of the item image, determining if the document item is a carrier envelope; concluding that the document item is not a double-fed item when a determination is made that the document item is a carrier-envelope based upon the read of one MICR codeline from the first predefined area of the item image; concluding that the document item is potentially a double-fed item when a determination is made that the document item is not a carrier envelope based upon the read of one MICR codeline from the first predefined area of the item image; reading one MICR codeline from a second predefined area which is different from the first predefined area of the item image; based upon the read of one MICR codeline from the second predefined area of the item image, determining if the item image has a valid MICR codeline; concluding that the document item is not a double-fed item when a determination is made that one valid MICR codeline has been read from the second predefined area of the item image; concluding that the document item is potentially a double-fed item when a determination is made that one valid MICR codeline has not been read from the second predefined area of the item image; and alerting an operator to indicate a potentially double-fed item when a determination is made that document item is not a carrier envelope based upon the read of one MICR codeline from the first predefined area of the item image and a determination is made that one valid MICR codeline has not been read from the second predefined area of the item image.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising: based upon the read of one MICR codeline from the first predefined area of the item image, determining if one blank MICR codeline has been read; and alerting an operator to indicate a potentially double-fed item when a determination is made that one blank codeline has not been read from the first predefined area of the item image.

3. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising: based upon the read of one MICR codeline from the first predefined area of the item image, determining if a dimension of the item image is within a predetermined dimension; and alerting an operator to indicate a potentially double-fed item when a determination is made that the dimension of the item image is not within the predetermined dimension.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is performed by a computer having a memory executing one or more programs of instructions which are tangibly embodied in a program storage medium readable by the computer.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein determining if the item image has one valid MICR codeline includes: determining if the MICR codeline which has been read from the second predefined area of the item image comprises two transit Q symbols; and concluding that the MICR codeline which has been read from the second predefined area of the item image is not one valid MICR codeline when a determination is made that the MICR codeline does not comprise two transit Q symbols.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein determining if the item image has one valid MICR codeline includes: determining if the MICR codeline which has been read from the second predefined area of the item image comprises at least a predetermined number of E13B/CMC7 characters; and concluding that the MICR codeline which has been read from the second predefined area of the item image is not one valid MICR codeline when a determination is made that the MICR codeline does not comprise at least a predetermined number of E13B/CMC7 characters.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein determining if the item image has a valid MICR codeline includes: determining if the MICR codeline which has been read from the second predefined area of the item image is not one valid MICR codeline when a determination is made that the MICR codeline comprises more than a predetermined number of rejects; and concluding that the MICR codeline which has been read from the second predefined area of the item image is not a valid MICR codeline when a determination is made that the MICR codeline comprises more than a predetermined number of rejects.

8. A check processing apparatus comprising: a document feed mechanism having a document feed path; a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) codeline reader arranged to read a MICR codeline from a document item as the document item is transported along the document feed path from an upstream end of the document feed path to a downstream end of the document feed path; an imaging camera arranged to capture image data which is representative of an image of the document item as the document item is transported along the document feed path; and an optical character recognition (OCR) reader arranged to perform an OCR read of an image of the document item as the document item is transported along the document feed path; and a processor programmed to (i) read one MICR codeline from a first predefined area of the item image, (ii) determine if the document item is a carrier envelope based upon the read of one MICR codeline from the first predefined area of the item image, and (iii) conclude that the document item is not a double-fed item when a determination is made that the document item is a carrier envelope, (iv) conclude that the document item is potentially a double-fed item when a determination is made that the document item is not a carrier envelope, (v) read one MICR codeline from a second predefined area which is different from the first predefined area of the item image, (vi) determine if the second predefined area of the item image has one valid MICR codeline based upon the read of one MICR codeline from the second predefined area of the item image, (vii) conclude that the document item is not a double-fed item when a determination is made that one valid MICR codeline has been read from the second predefined area of the item image, (viii) conclude that the document item is potentially a double-fed item when a determination is made that one valid MICR codeline has not been read from the second predefined area of the item image, and (ix) alert an operator to indicate a potentially double-fed item when a conclusion is made that the document item is potentially a double-fed item.

9. A check processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the processor is programmed to (x) determine if one blank MICR codeline has been read based upon the read of one MICR codeline from the first predefined area of the item image, and (xi) alert an operator to indicate a potentially double-fed item when a determination is made that one blank codeline has not been read from the first predefined area of the item image.

10. A check processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the processor is programmed to (x) determine if a dimension of the item image is within a predetermined dimension based upon the read of one MICR codeline from the first predefined area of the item image, and (xi) alert an operator to indicate a potentially double-fed item when a determination is made that the dimension of the item image is not within the predetermined dimension.